Fiona Chandra, Author at Gourmet Pigs

6 Best Dessert Spots in Kauai

Posted on March 12, 2026March 12, 2026

Most people go to Hawaii for the beaches, I go there to eat. Especially desserts. There are so many sweets that Hawaii is known for. From shave ice to malasadas, I’m always on the hunt for desserts when I’m visiting the islands. Kauai is my favorite of the Hawaiian islands and I’ve visited multiple times, either solo or with friends. After driving around the island looking for good eats, here are the six best dessert places in Kauai that I’ve found so far (of course, if I’ve missed any, please do let me know!)

1. Hee Fat

best shave ice Kauai — Hee Fat shave ice in Kauai

Hee Fat is actually a store that sells souvenirs and various other items, but there’s a shave ice counter at the back of the store. I tried Hee Fat on my first trip to Kauai and I’ve been back every trip since (sometimes more than once per trip). To me, Hee Fat is the best shave ice on the island. Sure, there’s another one I’d recommend (more on that next), but Hee Fat’s shave ice has the fluffiest texture of all the ones I’ve tried. They also make their own syrups with real fruits. I have my favorite flavors, that may not lend to the most colorful photo (mango, lychee, and coconut), but there are certainly plenty of other options.

4-1354 Kuhio Hwy

Kapaʻa, HI

2. Wailua Shave Ice

Wailua shave ice Kauai — Wailua shave ice in Kauai

Wailua Shave Ice is the second spot I would recommend. I don’t think their ice itself is as fluffy as Hee Fat, but Wailua has one particular special flavor that you must try: Da Ube One. This strikingly purple shave ice is doused in ube syrup and coconut milk, then topped with ube foam and coconut flakes. It’s not only eye-catching, but it’s a great flavor. The ube foam is what really makes this dessert special.

4-831 Kuhio Hwy

Kapaʻa, HI

3. The Right Slice

mango pie Kauai — Mango pie at The Right Slice

If you’re heading towards Waimea Canyon or Hanapepe, The Right Slice is a great stop for a slice of pie. The pie shop makes a lot of different flavors, from your classic flavors to those that are more Hawaiian like chocolate haupia pie, mango lilikoi pie, butter mochi pie, haupia sweet potato pie, and even lilikoi cheesecake. Everyone has their favorites here, but many people recommend the coconut cream pie or blueberry pina colada. Of course, I love mango, so I had to get the mango lilikoi pie, and it was delicious.

2-2459 Kaumualii Hwy

Kalaheo, HI

4. Pineapple in Paradise

Who doesn’t love Dole Whip, right? Pineapple in Paradise is a truck that serves whip a.k.a. soft serve. There’s also pineapple whip on the menu, but they rotate other flavors too, like guava, ube, or dragonfruit. You can get it on what they call a “paradise cone” which is this cute pineapple-shaped cake cone (similar to a taiyaki). You can check the website for their upcoming locations before you go.

5. Kauai Bakery

Another dessert you should try in Kauai is a malasada. These Portuguese-style donuts were brought to Hawaii in the 1800s and became such a mainstay. The airy and fluffy donuts are usually stuffed with cream or custard. At Kauai Bakery, you can find them simply dusted with cinnamon sugar, or stuffed with chocolate, guava, and more.

3-2600 Kaumualii Hwy STE 1526

Lihue, HI

6. Coconut Corner

Mangoes grown in tropical places like Hawaii are 100% superior to the ones grown in mainland U.S. That’s why you should be eating lots of mango while you’re in Kauai. For example, in the mango sticky rice sold at Coconut Corner. Coconut Corner is a fruit stand meets juice shop that also sells great mango sticky rice. The rice was soft and warm, the mango was perfectly ripe and the whole thing was topped with coconut cream.

9640 Kaumualii Hwy

Waimea, HI

Pizza Omakase at The Pizza Bar on 38th (Tokyo)

Food, Japan, Restaurants, Travel

Posted on January 21, 2026January 22, 2026

I spent my first couple of trips to Japan eating strictly Japanese food, but then I was finally ready to focus on Japanese pizza. On top of my list was, of course, the omakase at The Pizza Bar on 38th. Located on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, The Pizza Bar is a counter with only 8 seats serving a pizza omakase. With only 8 seats, advance reservations are essential and hard to come by.

Dinner is a 9-course menu (appetizer, 7 slices of pizza, and dessert) for JPY 18,700 (about US $ 118 at the time of this writing) and there are two wine pairing options you can choose from: four glasses of Japanese wines for JPY 9,900 and a premium wine pairing (still four course, but French and Italian wines) for JPY 17,600.

Before getting into the pizza, we started with an appetizer of tuna and turnip.

The first slice was a bianco pizza with rosemary oil and prosciutto produced in Nagano. The prosciutto was quite good.

The dough for the bianco pizza was made using Buratto flour, but the dough for the pizzas we subsequently got was made with six different types of flour.

There was a Diavolo pizza with San Marzano tomato, cherry tomato, and housemade nduja salami.

I have to say I like this pizza dough much better than the bianco. They presented the whole pizza to each of us before serving everyone one slice of each type. The classic bufala was still one of my favorites.

One of the items that are menu mainstays is the truffle pizzino. It’s a folded pizza with mascarpone, black olive paste and a generous shaving of black truffles.

I had gotten the Japanese wine pairing, and the truffle pizzino was paired with a 2024 Chateau Mercian Koshu Kiiroka from Yamanashi. It was a lovely pairing.

The seasonal slices we had included one with white beans, savoy cabbage and sofrito. The other was topped with sea asparagus, botan ebi and Bronte pistachios. The botan ebi pizza was certainly the most interesting slice we had.

There was a 7-cheese pizza which was then drizzled with truffle honey.

The final pizza was a wagyu pizza, though I felt that the cheese kind of overwhelms the wagyu here.

For dessert: affogato

The omakase at The Pizza Bar on 38th certainly comes with the Mandarin Oriental surcharge, and is probably the most expensive pizza experience in Tokyo. That said, it’s certainly worth trying once for pizza lovers.

LA Restaurants with Free Parking

Los Angeles, Restaurants

Posted on January 18, 2026January 22, 2026

*Updated Jan. 18, 2026

Most of you have probably spent 30 minutes before dinner circling the neighborhood for parking. Or perhaps you just gave up and paid the $15 valet parking charge. Parking in Los Angeles can be hard, or expensive. That’s why I decided to curate this list of the best LA restaurants with free parking.

I’m not talking about places where you can find free street parking here, but the ones that have their own lots or attached garage. I’m also not including areas like San Gabriel Valley since most of the places there have a free parking lot (otherwise this list will be much much longer). These are restaurants in downtown, West Hollywood, Echo Park, and other neighborhoods where normally parking is a hassle.

Rappahannock Oyster Bar

Rappahannock Oyster Bar at the ROW DTLA really deserves more hype for the great seafood the kitchen churns out, including a generous lobster roll and the seafood gumbo (pictured above). The gumbo is one of my favorites, so flavorful and chock full of seafood.

ROW DTLA offers two hours free parking, no validation needed (although if you do go over the two hours on weekdays, you better get that validation for cheaper rates). The free parking applies to all the restaurants at The ROW, of course, including Pizzeria Bianco (though two hours is cutting it too close if you’re doing the tasting menu at Kato or Hayato).

777 S Alameda St #154, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(323) 435-4004

A Tí

A Tí is a small, modern Mexican spot from Chef Andrew Ponce who previously worked at Bestia and Taco Maria. The menu is tight and changes frequently, but I can say that I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had there, from the tuna tostada to the oyster mushroom tacos.

Some items are menu mainstays, like the crispy duck mole with a mole sauce made with dates that is over 500 days old. A Ti is in a strip mall with its own (free!) parking lot.

1498 W Sunset Blvd #2, Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 674-9976

Borit Gogae

This is the place you should head to if you want to eat healthy, but don’t want to eat a light meal or salad. Borit Gogae’s Korean barley rice feast is healthy, nutritious and delicious. It’s quite filling, as well. The barley rice and banchans are mostly vegetarian, but the meal does come with a big bowl of creamy chicken soup.

There’s a large parking lot in the back (enter on Hobart Blvd).

3464 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 388-8818

Gebang Sikdang

The first U.S. outpost of Korea’s famous raw marinated crab restaurant has landed in Koreatown. Gebang Sikdang arguably serves the best raw marinated crab, prepared using female crabs imported from Korea.

Plus, I like that unlike many other crab spots in Koreatown, you don’t need a big group to come here. Gebang Sikdang offers crab sets that you can enjoy solo. It’s located in a large strip mall complex with free parking on weekdays, though they have paid valet on weekends.

3121 W Olympic Blvd #103, Los Angeles, CA 90006

(213) 674-7244

Saltie Girl

The Sunset Blvd outpost of this Boston-based seafood restaurant has one thing that the original location doesn’t: a free parking lot in the back.

Saltie Girl serves up fresh oysters, clam chowder, lobster rolls, an extensive selection of tinned seafood, and more. It’s not a cheap place, but at least you’ll save on parking.

8615 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 734-7296

Heng Heng Chicken Rice

Heng Heng Chicken Rice has become one of my favorite spots in Thai Town. They serve Hainan chicken rice, of course, but you should also try another dish they call zaab. You can zaab with crispy pork belly, chicken, or tofu and it’s a slightly spicy, tangy mixture of fried pork (or chicken/tofu) with onions and cilantro. The flavor profile reminds me of laab, just with fried meat.

The restaurant is located at the front of The Dixie Hollywood hotel and you can park in the hotel lot for free. Just make sure to grab a parking pass from the restaurant after you park (and return it as you leave).

5420 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 380-7875

Pasta Sisters

Pasta Sisters is a fast casual pasta spot that lets diners customize their own pastas, from the pasta shape to the sauce and the toppings. With dishes starting at $15, it’s a good spot for an affordable and casual meal out.

The Culver City location is inside the Helms Bakery complex, which has free parking that’s shared among the businesses there. I’ve never had an issue finding a spot here.

3280 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90232

(424) 603-4503

Kazunori/ Uovo / HiHo

Yes, these are three different restaurants but since they’re all owned by the same parent company and are next to each other at both the Mid-Wilshire and the Marina del Rey locations (the two locations with free parking), I’m lumping them all together.

Kazunori is the handroll bar from the same people who started Sugarfish, while Uovo is known for their pastas that are handmade in Italy and flown in every day. HiHo serves cheeseburgers made with 100% grass-fed wagyu beef. Uovo may be my favorite of the three as I’ve always enjoyed their pastas, though Kazunori is an affordable and quick meal when you have a hankering for some sushi.

The Marina del Rey complex they’re located in has lots of free parking, while the Mid-Wilshire building offers two hours free parking with validation.

Iki Ramen

Iki Ramen is a great spot for many things: ramen, sushi, kaisendon, and even omakase. For those who like a lighter broth, the yuzu shio ramen at Iki is excellent. The salmon burrata is a great appetizer that you should try if you’ve never been here.

There are two Iki Ramen locations. The original location in Koreatown is in a strip mall with a parking lot, which is unattended (i.e. free) during the afternoon, but there is a valet in the evening. The Hollywood location is located in a building with a garage and Iki Ramen provides validation for one hour free.

Simpang Venice

The Venice location of Simpang Asia leans more Southeast Asian in general rather than specifically Indonesian cuisine as it was at the original location, though they still offer some traditional Indonesian dishes like rendang and nasi bungkus.

They offer a set menu that will allow you to taste a lot of the best hits, plus they serve natural wines and just recently introduced cocktails. Simpang Venice is located in a small strip mall with a shared parking lot.

705 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

(424) 252-9925

Road to Seoul (Koreatown)

Koreatown has an overwhelming options as far as Korean BBQ goes, but one with free parking certainly helps. Finding street parking in Koreatown has been increasingly hard these days, and even paid valet lots can have long lines.

Road to Seoul has been around for many years, and they now have three locations around town. This place is still a solid all-you-can-eat KBBQ option and the location on Western in K-town has a small attached parking lot.

1230 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006

(323) 731-9292

Sushi Matsumoto

Sushi Matsumoto is a long-standing sushi restaurant in L.A. that prides itself on serving fish flown directly from Toyosu, Japan. The restaurant was originally located on Beverly Blvd. but they have since relocated to Western Ave. and the new location offers free parking. While the omakase for dinner starts at $130 per person, they have some lunch nice specials that include a 10-piece omakase for $80.

700 S Western Ave Suite 102, Los Angeles, CA 90005

(323) 653-0470

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge: a Pacific Northwest Heaven

Canada, Travel

Posted on November 16, 2025November 19, 2025

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island was one of my favorite places I’ve stayed at. I loved my glamping tent and the surrounding area is stunning with plenty of outdoor activities to fill your time. Plus, the food and drink program is excellent.

A stay at Clayoquot is all-inclusive. You get three meals provided with wine, and there’s an afternoon happy hour with cocktails and a slew of activities you can schedule ahead of time.

After landing in Vancouver, I took the bus to the Seair Seaplane terminal and waited for my seaplane to board.

The journey itself was special as the view from the seaplane was spectacular.

After landing, they picked us up in a horse carriage to get to the lodge itself.

The tent was quite large and has a couch, a king bed, a stove to keep you warm at night, and a desk.

I didn’t take a photo of the bathroom, but it even had heated floors! Of course, there’s plenty of hot water for your outdoor shower.

The seaplane landed in the afternoon, so I settled in for some pre-dinner cocktails and small bites.

From the first night’s dinner I was very impressed by the food at Clayoquot. They use local ingredients as much as possible and the chef’s preparation was impeccable. I certainly wasn’t expecting this level of fine dining at a glamping outfitter, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved these British Columbia spot prawns. You can get wines with your dinner, included as part of your stay (the list mostly features Canadian wines).

Meals take place at the main lodge, but if you’re here with a group, you can also book a private dining tent. The menu changes every day, so you’ll never get bored of the meals.

Getting back to my tent after dinner, I saw they had prepared a fur-lined hot water bottle to keep me warm in bed.

They drop off a Yeti of hot coffee every morning so I could enjoy it while taking in the view from my deck.

Breakfast options also change every morning, and may include things like this crab avocado benedict.

Each guest also gets one massage during their stay, which I naturally took advantage of. It was one of the best massages I’ve ever had, although the masseur said he usually works in Tofino and was filling. I sure hope they bring him back!

They have a range of activities that are included with your stay, like horseback riding and a boat tour to view the wildlife (we saw bears and otters!). There are some special activities that do have an extra charge. For example, a helicopter ride to the top of one of the mountains. Even without paying for the extras, though, there are plenty of outdoorsy things to do. I sadly didn’t end up going kayaking as storm was coming and we had to leave the island early. A bummer, but you can’t control the weather! In the meantime, I’m just biding my time until I can come back.

We did get to do a hike combined with a helicopter ride, greeted with some drinks and charcuterie at the top of a snow-capped mountain. Here’s a reel I made on Instagram if you want to see what that’s all about

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9 Best Breweries to Visit in San Bernardino’s Inland Empire

Beer, Drinks, Los Angeles, USA

Posted on August 12, 2025January 22, 2026

The Inland Empire is home to dozens of craft breweries, some of which have made a name across the state and country with the quality and creativity of their beers. Its proximity to Los Angeles makes it a great day trip destination for a beer crawl, whether you’re into sour beers, stouts or Belgian ales. Inland Empire is a large geographic area that spans two counties with too many breweries to cover in one guide, and so this guide attempts to cover the San Bernardino portion of the IE.

Hangar 24

Hangar 24 is a well known name in the brewing world now with three locations and a 15,000 barrel production, but this craft brewery started in Redlands right across the street from the municipal airport. Located near the orange groves, they use local fruits to make a very popular Orange Wheat beer but there are plenty more on the rotating taps from light lager to IPAs.

1710 Sessums Dr

Redlands, CA 92374

(909) 242-8111

www.hangar24brewing.com

Ritual Brewing

This large brewery and taproom in Redlands has a diverse lineup of beers with 24 taps, many of which are award-winning. On top of IPAs and a blonde brewed with local honey, they also make less popular styles of beers including a barrel aged barleywine and plenty of Belgian-style ales.

1315 Research Dr

Redlands, CA 92374

(909) 478-7800

Ritualbrewing.com

Kings Brewing

Kings Brewing is known for their so-called “fros’e” which is not really a frose, but a sour ale base with tons of fruits added, making for a sweet and fruity beverage. Solid IPAs and stouts round out their tap for those who are looking for something less sweet, and they also frequently collaborate with breweries around the country, so there’s always something new and fun on tap. Originally opened in Rancho Cucamonga, Kings Brewing has relocated to Upland.

296 N 2nd Ave

Upland, CA 91786

(909) 931-6071

www.kingsbrewingco.com

Escape Craft Brewery

Escape Craft Brewery has grown quite a bit since opening, winning multiple awards and now with two locations including a new brewery and taproom in downtown Redlands complete with a full kitchen. This brewery’s menu is conveniently divided by flavor profile, from the Sakura wheat ale with cherry blossom tea to their flagship West Coast IPA, Civil Disturbance.

440 Oriental Ave

Redlands, CA 92374

(909) 713-3727

escapecraftbrewery.com

Sour Cellars

The atmosphere of this brewery belies the industrial location, complete with red velvet chairs and vintage artwork. As the name implies, Sour Cellars focuses mainly on sour beers and there’s nothing else like it in the Inland Empire. Most of their sour beers are aged in barrels for at least 12 months – some for more than 40 months – though there are non-sour beers for those so inclined.

9495 E 9th St Unit B

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

(909) 294-5183

www.sourcellars.com

The Stout House

Triple stout, barrel aged golden stout, peanut butter stout, The Stout House is where you go for all your stout needs from the heavier, sweeter styles to the lighter drier stouts that tend to make it on the tap list on warmer months. Despite the focus on stouts, the brewery spends just as much effort on their non-stout selections, so they’re worth a space on your flight.

1294 W 9th St

Upland, CA 91786

(909) 493-7158

thestouthouse.square.site

Hamilton Family Brewery

Hamilton Family Brewery was one of the early ones that opened up and set the beer scene in Rancho Cucamonga. This family and dog-friendly brewery has become one of the most popular in the area, with a large outdoor patio and rotating food vendors. There’s a wide variety of styles available including a watermelon blonde ale and plenty of hard seltzer slushies for those warmer days.

9757 7th St #802

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

(909) 989-7050

www.hamiltonfamilybrewery.com

Solorio

This Latino-owned brewery in Rancho Cucamonga is relaxed and low-key, but has something for everyone, including a very good Mexican lager and a rotating kettle sour. Among the crowd favorites are the toasted coconut porter and the blood orange DIPA. For those wanting more than just beer, Solorio also serves up a nice michelada.

9395 Feron Blvd K

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

(909) 755-5400

soloriobrewing.com

3 Iron Brewing Co

The golf-themed brewery has nothing to do with golf, really, but the name and theme came about as the brewery’s owners used a golf club to stir the mash pot back in their homebrewing days. They’re grown a bit since then as Colton’s only craft brewery, with 16 beers on tap, including their popular orange wedge wheat, golden coffee stout and DIPAs.

898 S Via Lata A

Colton, CA 92324

(909) 533-4892

www.3ironbrewingco.com

3 Power Lunch Deals in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Restaurants

Posted on August 8, 2025

There’s no denying that prices for everything have gone up compared to five years ago, and that means it’s getting more and more expensive to dine out. That has not stopped me from going out to eat, but it certainly helps when there is a deal.

Thankfully, some Los Angeles restaurants have brought back the power lunches, offering prix fixe lunch menus that are significantly more affordable than dinner prices. Here are three power lunch that I’ve enjoyed and found to offer significant savings.

San Laurel

Chef José Andrés brings his take on Spanish food to The Conrad Hotel in downtown Los Angeles with San Laurel.

Dinner at San Laurel is not a cheap proposition, with main courses starting at over $40. That’s why the $48 per person power lunch is quite a deal. The power lunch starts with four different starters for the table to share, including oysters and Peruvian scallops. Then, there are three choices for the entrées, and it’s a hard choice. I loved both the pollo frito (served bone-in) and the Basque-style grilled lubina.

100 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 349-8585

Orla

Orla at The Regent Hotel in Santa Monica is Chef Michael Mina’s seaside Mediterreanean restaurant and I personally love this place even better for lunch, when you can not only sea the beach and the ocean more clearly and you can get power lunch for $39 per person (cheaper than most of the dinner entrées).

The power lunch starts with a few mezzes to share for the table, followed by your choice of main course like shrimp skewers and tomato ginger-glazed salmon. There is a supplementary charge for dessert and a middle course, but I would recommend splurging on the extra $7 for the macaroni bechamel.

1700 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 899-4050

Wally’s Beverly Hills

Many may not think of Wally’s Wine as a dining destination, but this wine spot has enlisted Chef David Feau (formerly of Royce in Pasadena), so it’s well worth checking out for the food.

Wally’s in Beverly Hills offers a three-course lunch for $39 per person. Start with some wagyu tartare before moving on to the bouillabaise, or spend the extra $5 charge for lamb navarin. I recommend the tarte tatin for dessert. All the courses were quite generous in serving size, making the price well worth it.

447 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 475-3540